Hello, I (just turned 21!) female, average surfer.. No barrels .....YET!Based in the UK, I get plenty of water time but really wanting to focus on improving my surfing. I surf as much as I can and want to start an excersise routine based on this. However I have a really bad back, I feel like my spine bone has actually curved due to paddling on the board...could this be possible?? Been to chiropractor didnt help so have just decided to rely on massages!So am slightly wary about starting excersise plan. I am a 'strong' built surfer wide shoulders but would also like to loose some weight in the hope it will make my surfing more dynamic. SO have started the couch to 5k program...has anyone done it ? for cardio. At the mo plan looks a bit like this....Mon - swimTues - couch to 5kWeds - circuitsThurs- couch to 5k / yogaFri - couch to 5kSat - day offSun - day off

Most of this when there is no swell......PLease advice would be good!!!! With regards to swimming im doing about 16x25m warm up, then 16x25m sprint with 30/60 second rest between each length then 16x25m to warm down. This is general idea...please give me some feedback...Thanks!!!

Surfing does place quite a bit of strain on the back so it's handy to include exercises that will make this area strong and flexible. Yoga/Pilates type stuff can be handy for this.

Any sort of overall fitness programme will be beneficial (esp if you don't live near the coast) but once you've built up a good core fitness, think about evolving your training regime to include exercises which mimic some of the movements used in surfing.

There's a whole bunch of stuff on the interweb, but basically paddling involves the 'pulling' muscles primarily, popping up on your board the 'pushing' muscles, and surfing manoeuvres will involve the legs/core more.

I followed the couch to 5k plan a few years ago and went from not being able to run 100m to running a marathon last year. Its a good enough running plan and with your level of fitness it'll probably be easy enough for you. I'm presuming you are fit because of swimming.

Losing weight is all due to balancing what you eat versus what energy you expend each day. There has to be a balance and you will only lose weight if you eat less than you need. Get a calorie tracking app and start looking at nutritional info on packages Best of luck with it!

I vouch on everything what Gav said. Brilliant suggestions and great link for back stretches/movements. These are very common exercises that physios, osteos, and chiros may suggest to people with back problems. Not all these exercises on the link applies to every back pain though. So try one or two, and see how your back feels. If any of the movement improves your back movements and less pain, spot on. If it's painful, then stop (obviously...), try something else.

iionzii wrote:I feel like my spine bone has actually curved due to paddling on the board

Do you mean lordosis? A common posture for surfers...it's not a condition or bad thing, it's just how people are. Some have really arched back (lordosis), some have really flat back, sway back, hunchback...everyone's different. If there's pain associated with the posture (like yourself?), then it needs managing. Try physio (I confess that I am biased) for just an assessment.

In terms of swimming, two little suggestions might come in handy:

1) try to include backstroke in your session (alternating with front-crawl ever other length during warm-up / cool-down is a perfect start). It adds a good mix to your overall shoulder movements, and backstrokes help to open up your chest muscle groups (makes your back and chest muscle groups balanced and supple). Plus you it's bit of a change from staring the dull line on the bottom of the pool...

2) At the moment your total distance in one session is 1,200m (3 blocks of 16 x 25m). Keep this total distance for now, and once you are competent with sets of 25s, try to build up to a full 400m on your main set. Take your time over many sessions, gradual increment on your main set (for example, 8x50s 20sec rest, 4x100s 60sec rest, 2x150s 60sec rest + 1x 100, 2x200s 90sec rest, 300m + 100m, then finally a straight 400m) will prevent the pitfall of "training too much too quick" and will avoid over-training injury. This might help you with building your strength and stamina to swim multiple 400s, then rest is what Gav mentioned above.

In swimming, 400m is something equivalent to 1mile run on a track. Too short distance to "pace" like a marathon, but too long to go all out from the start like 100m sprint. It's the most challenging distance in "competitive" swimming (I think). It's a good baseline measurement to take, time yourself once in a while, and see how much you progresses over time.

Good luck!

Last edited by defever on Sat Jan 19, 2013 2:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

its interesting, thats what i like about swimming. with your head in and nothing to distract you can just focus in on the moments - movement, breath, motion - so to me its very meditative in a zen archery/kyudo way. the only other sport that i do thats get close to this is on the stand up board (race, not surf) where in the same way you can zone out and tune in to the moment... but then its the same concept, reach, catch, pull, motion.

its interesting, thats what i like about swimming. with your head in and nothing to distract you can just focus in on the moments - movement, breath, motion - so to me its very meditative in a zen archery/kyudo way. the only other sport that i do thats get close to this is on the stand up board (race, not surf) where in the same way you can zone out and tune in to the moment... but then its the same concept, reach, catch, pull, motion.

That's exactly what I used to like about swimming (don't do any these days) the kaboom/kabom kaboom/kabom kaboom/kabom mantra and the endorphine flow. In truth probably closer to a zen state than any time I've sat cross legged performing some transcendental procedure. And if you're young enough you come out of it ripped.

Very interesting indeed. Maybe I have very low concentration span or absolutely no focus when I'm swimming. I start thinking about who's swimming next to me, is the hot lifeguard chick looking at me, how do I launch myself off the lip next time I'm surfing, what board to buy next, I'm hungry, pizza or pasta bake, I'm bored, how many length have I got, etc...